Newsletters Dev – Page 38 – getting it done!

And They Lived Comically Ever After

Post author By Eileen Gonzalez
Post date May 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Last newsletter before Mother’s Day! I hope you are well-prepared or, if not, that your mother likes comic books so you can find gift ideas below!

Looking for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift? Go beyond the tried and true flowers and chocolate and give the gift of reading with Tailored Book Recommendations! Our bibliologists are standing by to help your mom find her next favorite read, delivered right to her inbox or doorstep. And with gifts starting at just $18, there’s something for any budget! Head to mytbr.co/gift to send the gift of reading to the book nerd in your life!

Bookish Goods

Anime Fanny Pack by MayaTaylorDesign

Who says fanny packs aren’t cool? This one seems perfect for manga and anime fans! $33

New Releases

Star Wars: Visions by Various Creators

Did the anime series Star Wars: Visions on Disney+ leave you wanting more? More is here! This manga anthology features adaptations of four stories from the show’s first season, providing even more material for Star Wars fans to dive into and fall in love with.

Lore Olympus Volume Six by Rachel Smythe

The award-winning series is back! This time, Zeus has vengeance on his mind (so what else is new?), and Hades is forced to choose between protecting Persephone, the object of Zeus’s ire, and staying loyal to his brother. Meanwhile, the other gods must also decide whose side they want to be on…

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Today’s Riot Rec theme is: fractured fairy tales! These creative comics take the traditional tales that so many kids love and give them a new twist.

Stories of the Islands by Clar Angkasa

The three stories included here put a feminist spin on Indonesian fairy tales, allowing a princess, two sisters, and a mother and daughter to save themselves! In the back of the book, you can find the original versions of each story, so you can see which parts got changed.

Fairest of All by Sarah Mlynowski, Adapted by Anu Chouhan

Ever wish you could save Snow White from the machinations of her wicked stepmother? Siblings Abby and Jonah got the chance to do just that, only to muck up Snow White’s happy ending in the process! Adapted from the prose book of the same name, this is the first in the “Whatever After” series, which rewrites many a familiar fairy tale.

Finally, while I chose to mention Lore Olympus in my New Releases section, it’s important to be aware that its original publisher, Webtoon, has been accused of mistreating at least one of its creators: LySandra Vuong, creator of Covenant, has been prevented from promoting their own comic.

I mention this so you know what is going on, not necessarily so you can avoid all things Webtoon. If anything, situations like this make it more important to support your favorite creators by buying their books and telling others how much you enjoy them.

~Eileen

Kissing Books

Socks, Spies, and Shipwrecks

Post author By P.N. Hinton
Post date May 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome, or welcome back, to the Kissing Books newsletter. I’m PN Hinton, your guide to all things romance-related. Thanks for taking the time to give this a read! I hope this newsletter helps to brighten up your day just a little bit more.

Today’s random holiday is Lost Sock Memorial Day. I know that somewhere between starting and finishing laundry, we have all felt the sorrow of losing a sock. It’s no big deal when it’s a plain sock, but I’ve lost some of my fun socks over the years, which is a bit more heartbreaking.

It’s been a minute since I’ve updated you on my reading! I am still reading Just For the Summer because that author is one that I like taking my time with. I also started Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places and am adoring it as well.

Bookish Goods

Do Not Disturb, I’m Reading Smut Socks by VulpineVinyls

Today’s goodie is in honor of Lost Sock Memorial Day. They look super soft and comfortable. Plus, they give fair warning to anyone who may be tempted to disrupt your current reading session. $13

New Releases

Honey Pot by Katrina Jackson

Asif and Chanté are spies and lovers. However, Asif’s preference to work alone sometimes leads him into unexpected peril. When he goes missing on his latest mission, Chanté quickly heads out to find him, vowing not to let anyone or anything, including Asif himself, get in the way of their bright future together.

Gillian’s Island by Cara Malone

After her band books a gig on a luxury sapphic cruise, lead singer Scarlet is optimistic about what this means for her career. Veterinary researcher Robin had intended to spend the entirety of the cruise focusing on the wildlife and not the women. Then Scarlet and Robin meet, sparks instantly fly, and the two quickly become close. But when a storm forces all the passengers to abandon ship on an uninhabited island with no way to seek aid, tensions rise between everyone, including Scarlet and Robin, which could wither this blossoming relationship.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

I’ve noticed an uptick in romances that feature one or both of the main characters getting left at the altar. This breakup usually takes place right at the beginning, leaving plenty of time for the jilted character(s) to start down the pathway of their new love story.

Personally, if I got left at the altar, I’d be through with love for at least a year, if not forever. But if that were the case for these characters, there wouldn’t be much of a story, now would there? With that said, here are the recommendations for today. Enjoy!

That Thing Between Eli and Gwen by J. J. McAvoy

Eli and Gwen have, respectively, found their forever person and are looking forward to settling into married life. But when Eli’s wedding day arrives, his would-be bride runs off with Gwen’s fiancé. After that painful betrayal, Eli and Gwen turn to each other to help adjust to what will be their new normal and soon find themselves wondering if there was a reason their best-laid plans went astray.

Trust Me by Jayne Ann Krentz

While caterer Desdemona is sympathetic towards Stark getting left at the altar, she still needs him to pay the bill for the wedding that wasn’t. When it comes out that Stark has a handful of social engagements that he’s obligated to go to, he hires her company. What begins as a professional relationship soon grows into more as these two opposites find themselves irrevocably drawn to one another.

It’s almost time for the first half of season three for Bridgerton. If you’re looking for some books with the same vibes, check out some of the books listed here.

And that’s all I have for y’all today. I’ll be back in your inboxes on Monday with another romance roundup. If you’re so inclined, you can also give me a follow over on Instagram under @pns_bookish_world to get bookish snippets of me between the sends. Until then, happy reading and stay hydrated!

Book Radar

Michelle Yeoh to Star in BLADE RUNNER 2049 Sequel Series and More Book Radar!

Post author By Emily Martin
Post date May 8, 2024

Sponsored by

Dear Book Friends,

Welcome to another Thursday Book Radar! It’s been a really busy week over here, and the weekend’s not going to slow down. I’m hoping maybe I can get some sleep…next week. But I hope you’re feeling well-rested and on top of your game this week! If not, the weekend is almost here! Woo! Let’s chat books.

Book Deals and Reveals

Rainbow Rowell is back with a new novel, and People has an early sneak peek. Slow Dance is out on July 23 from William Morrow.

Michelle Yeoh has been cast to star in Blade Runner 2099, a new Blade Runner sequel series in the works at Amazon Prime Video. Amazon declined to comment on specific character details.

And here’s the cover of the upcoming novel from Ann Hood, The Stolen Child. It’s out on May 7 from W.W. Norton & Company.

Check out the cover of this upcoming anthology, Fears: Tales of Psychological Horror. This collection of eclectic horror short stories, edited by Ellen Datlow, is coming out on September 10 from Tachyon Publications.

George A. Romero, the director of Night of the Living Dead, will posthumously publish a new novel, co-written by Daniel Kraus. It’s out on September 3.

Priscilla Presley is set to publish a new memoir with Hachette Books. In the book, Presley opens up about “life after Elvis; the passing of her daughter, Lisa Marie; Lisa Marie’s marriage to Michael Jackson; and forging her own identity as an actress and businesswoman, as well as offering never-before-shared intimate stories about her romantic life with Elvis.” It’s out in fall 2025.

The once highly-anticipated book festival Readers Take Denver is now being called the “Fyre Festival of Books.” The four-day event took place April 18-21 and turned into an utter disaster.

Oprah has announced her 105th book club pick, and it’s Long Island by Colm Tóibín.

The Winners of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize have been announced! Check out the winners and finalists here.

Book Riot Recommends

Hi, welcome to everyone’s favorite segment of Book Radar called Book Riot Recommends. This is where I’ll talk to you about all the books I’m reading, the books I’m loving, and the books I can’t wait to read and love in the near future. I think you’re going to love them too!

Can’t Wait for This One!

I’ll Have What He’s Having by Adib Khorram (Forever, August 27)

In late August, we’re getting a new book from Adib Khorram, the William C. Morris Award-winning author of Darius the Great Is Not Okay. And I really can’t wait for this one. With this novel, Khorram is making his adult debut, and it’s a queer romantic comedy that promises to genuinely have readers laughing out loud.

It all starts with a case of mistaken identity. Farzan Alavi is just minding his business, drowning his sorrows in wine at Kansas City’s newest wine bar, hoping to put his recent break-up in his past. Then, without understanding why, Farzan finds himself escorted to the bar’s VIP table, where he is wined and dined and treated to the best meal of his life. Why though? Sommelier David Curtis thinks Farzan is an influential food critic. Oops.

David only finds out the truth about Farzan after the two have a hot one-night stand. But it’s definitely only going to be a one-night thing if David has anything to say about it. David has all eyes on work at the moment, and he has no interest in pursuing a relationship. So that is the end of that, right? Wrong.

When Farzan inherits his family’s bistro, he suddenly finds himself in need of David’s restaurant expertise. Now the two agree to meet up again, but it’s all going to be strictly professional, right? Yeah, we’ll see.

Words of Literary Wisdom

“Trust people’s actions, not their words. Don’t love anyone who isn’t ready to love you back. Let go of the people who don’t hold on to you. Don’t wait on anyone who’s in no rush to get to you.”

— Funny Story by Emily Henry

What’s Up in the Book Community?

My iPhone is constantly telling me I spend too much time staring at my screen, which is honestly so rude. But this means I spend a lot of time scrolling around the online book community: BookTube, Bookstagram, BookTok, BookLinkedIn (JK. That’s not a thing…I don’t think). You get the idea. Don’t have the time, energy, or the will to do all of that yourself? No problem. I got you. In this weekly section of Book Radar, we’ll take a look at something cool, interesting, and/or newsy that’s going on in the book community.

Friends, I don’t know if you’ve been keeping up with what’s going on with author Freydis Moon and their alleged multiple identities in the literary world, but it’s a wild web of deceit. You can read more about the scandal here, or if you’re more of a YouTube video essay person (like me), some of my fave YouTubers have covered this: WithCindy and Jess Owens.

And Here’s A Cat Picture!

I don’t know if you can see, but maybe if you zoom into the nose, you’ll be able to see Murray’s beautiful, perfect little nose freckles. I love this angel cat so much. I haven’t been home much this week, and I miss snuggling!

Hopefully, you have lots of cat snuggles in your future this weekend. I will see you on Monday!

Emily

The Fright Stuff

Horror Comics That’ll Give You the Chills

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date May 8, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by Steph Auteri.

I like all different sorts of horror. Comedic horror. Psychological horror. Horror with roots in the occult.

But the best sort of horror, in my humble opinion? The horror that keeps you up all night. The sort that creeps up on you, raising goosebumps on your arms, making the skin on your scalp and at the back of your neck prickle, giving you the all-over chills. This is the horror that leaves you feeling uneasy, even in the safety of your own home. The horror that makes you question every creak and moan of the house as it settles, that makes you afraid of the dark.

There are plenty of horror novels, of course, that do this well. In the case of those particular books, all I need is my imagination to freak myself out. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been consumed by regret over reading a work of horror right before bedtime, the dark looming outside my window, my spouse out of town. Why do I always do this to myself??

But there’s something about the visual aspect of comics and graphic novels that can elevate horror. The most talented comic artists can make a scary story even scarier. I have a rolodex of terrifying comic panels in my brain that have been so well done I’ll never forget them.

If you, like me, enjoy living in a constant state of low-level terror thanks to your creepy reading habits, I’ve got the list for you. Below, I share eight horror comics that have given me the chills. Maybe they’ll do the same for you.

The Closet by James Tynion IV, Gavin Fullerton, Chris O’Halloran, and Tom Napolitano

Tynion is one of my favorite writers in the world of horror comics, and this won’t be the only time he appears on this list. This particular comic is very wee (it’s a three-issue miniseries), but it really packs a wallop. In the first issue, we’re introduced to a young boy who’s afraid of the monster in his closet and the father who dismisses his fears. His father insists that whether the monster is real doesn’t actually matter, as they’ll soon be moving across the country. But problems such as these are not so easily outrun, and the eventual reveal of the monster — and what it truly is — is like a punch to the heart.

The Low, Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado and Dani

I’ve written about this one before. This comic made my skin crawl, and, well, the story has stayed with me. Machado is exceptionally good at dark and upsetting, and whether she’s writing fiction or nonfiction, her explorations of desire and sexual violence are powerful. At the beginning of The Low, Low Woods, we’re introduced to two friends and their hometown of Shudder-To-Think, Pennsylvania, a former mining town where strange and unexplainable occurrences go unexplored. But when El and Octavia wake up in the movie theater with no memory of the past two hours, things come to a head. El wants to know more. Octavia wants to forget it ever happened. This push and pull is at the heart of what’s wrong in their small Pennsylvania town. (Content warnings for sexual assault and gaslighting.)

The Night Eaters, Book 2: Her Little Reapers by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

The first book in Liu and Takeda’s Night Eaters trilogy came out in 2022, and I really enjoyed the story of a pair of Chinese American twins who come to learn of an unbelievable family legacy (spoiler alert: they discover they’re demons). Book 2 came out late last year, upping the stakes dramatically for Ipo and Keon, who may just have to harness their brand-new powers to save the world. Beyond the story itself, I really enjoy the lush artwork in this series.

A Guest in the House by Emily Carroll

In this stunningly drawn graphic novel, Abby marries a man who was recently widowed and struggles to adjust to a new life with him and his young daughter. But the memory of his husband’s first wife soon seems to grow and expand, taking up even more space in Abby’s life. As Abby begins to have visions of her predecessor, she begins to question everything. Is she losing her grip on reality? Or, could it be possible that things are not what they seem?

Bad Dreams in the Night by Adam Ellis

Ellis is a comic artist and illustrator whose work I follow on Instagram and who used to be a staff cartoonist at BuzzFeed. So, I’m used to seeing his work in the context of just a small handful of panels. When I saw he had a book coming out — and that it was horror — I was pumped. In this graphic horror collection, described as a graphic version of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Ellis presents a number of standalone supernatural tales, eerie and perplexing and, in some cases, leading me to legit shout out, “Ew!” Each of these tales is accompanied by a short description of what inspired the comic. A quick but satisfying (and unsettling) read.

Nita Hawes’ Nightmare Blog, Vol. 1: The Fire Next Time by Rodney Barnes, Jason Shawn Alexander, Patric Reynolds, Well-Bee, Luis Nct, and Szymon Kudranski

I’m not really one for vampire tales (well, not usually), but when I saw that the team behind Killadelphia had an offshoot series that trafficked in demon possession, I was in. I mean, just look at that cover art. In this first volume, paranormal investigator Nita Hawes — battling demons of her own — must test her mettle against a demon who’s inhabited the comatose body of a man who hungers for revenge. What makes the outcome particularly tricky is the fact that, just maybe, vengeance is warranted?

The Deviant by James Tynion IV, Joshua Hixson, and Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou

I told you we hadn’t seen the last of Tynion on this list. In this case, though, he’s working with a different creative team. Volume 1 of this creepy series doesn’t come out until October, but you can already read issues 1-5 individually. In this tale, a man dressed as Santa Claus commits a series of gruesome murders. Fifty years later, a young writer compelled by his own complicated emotions interviews the man who ended up behind bars for the crime — though he’s always maintained his innocence. Come for the disturbing crime; stay for the explorations of deviance and queer identity.

Bone Orchard: The Passageway by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and Dave Stewart

Finally, this book is the first in the Bone Orchard Mythos, an ongoing, shared horror universe featuring a mix of limited series and standalone graphic novels. I really dig everything this creative team does together, so I’ve been truly enjoying everything that’s come out so far as part of this project. But, for me, the very first book is still the most unsettling. It’s about a geologist sent to a remote lighthouse to check out an odd phenomenon: a deep pit that’s appeared out of nowhere. Where does it come from, and does the lighthouse keeper know more than she’s revealing? The creep factor here is high, and once you read it, you won’t be able to resist the rest of the books in the Bone Orchard universe.

Hungry for more? In addition to those older posts of mine linked to at the beginning of this post, check out these 12 terrifying YA graphic novels.

Giveaways

050824-888Love-Giveaway

Post author By Vivek Patel
Post date May 8, 2024

We’re giving away three copies of 888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers by Abraham Chang to three lucky Riot readers!

Enter here for a chance to win, or click the image below!

For fans of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow and High Fidelity comes a dazzling love story set at NYU in the mid-’90s, that buzzes with big-hearted pop culture energy.

Swords and Spaceships

10 Excellent Epic Fantasy Debuts

Post author By Samm Saxby
Post date May 8, 2024

Sponsored by

This post is written by R. Nassor.

Excellent epic fantasy debuts are a glorious thing to behold. I love to see new authors on the scene make their first public attempts at crafting magical struggles or impossible quests. It is a difficult subgenre to pull off, and so it is even more impressive when they make a splash.

As a subgenre of high fantasy, epic fantasy must take place in an alternate world with fantastical (i.e., magical and/or otherworldly) elements and involve complex geopolitical plots and/or multi-step quests. Although they are not requirements of the subgenre, epic fantasy books have also come to include multiple point-of-view characters, maps, and pronunciation keys as well.

The subgenre is largely inspired by early epic poetry like Beowulf, the Illiad, or the Odyssey. These are long narrative poems that involve a hero’s journey against large threats across kingdoms, realms, or states. Taking inspiration from the fantastical epic poems, epic fantasy books have larger-than-life stakes as well.

This list of 10 excellent epic fantasy debuts dives into authors who debuted in epic fantasy recently. Many great epic fantasy books were, unfortunately, not the author’s debut and thus have been omitted from this list. I also limited the series to the last decade because I wanted to give some love to recent releases readers might have missed on the shelves. I highly recommend giving these epic fantasy debuts a go.

Epic Fantasy Debuts Await

The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter (2017)

For 200 years, the Omehi people have been at war. Military power is everything. So, the one of two thousand women born with the power to call dragons and the one of a hundred men born with the power to enlarge and strengthen themselves are valued. Without any gifts to speak of, Tau is fodder, hoping for an early injury that will end his mandatory service. That is until everyone he loves is murdered. His thirst for revenge sets him on a path to become a swordsman talented enough to kill the three men responsible for his pain.

Content Warnings: Misogyny, Sexual Assault, Racism

The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang (2018)

Inspired by 20th-century China, this epic fantasy book is a demonstration of the way the lives of insignificant people are twisted and crushed in war. Rin studied and struggled so that when she aced the empire-wide test to go to the academy, she could leave her town and her arranged marriage behind. At the elite military school, she discovered her talent for shamanism, but her gender, poverty, and dark skin stopped her from gaining many allies. Nonetheless, when war came to the Empire, her powers became more valuable than ever, but that power might just come at the cost of her humanity.

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart (2020)

Nearing the end of the emperor’s reign, a battle for succession upends what little stability the kingdom had left. The unrecognized heir to the throne, Lin, knows she must learn how to manipulate bone shard magic to create animal-like constructs and keep the peace. On the ocean, Jovis is saving children from the Tithing Festival and becoming the people’s hero. But such hope only further fuels the oncoming revolution, and Lin will be forced to decide what she will sacrifice to save everyone.

The Mask of Mirrors by M. A. Carrick (2021)

The best heroes are always con artists, and Ren is one of the greatest in the city. She might just be talented enough to fake her way into the nobility for the sake of her and her sister’s future. However, the aristocracy might be even deadlier than the gang she escaped as a teenager, and as myth and magic begin to seep into her dreams, she will have to trust a vigilante, a merchant with a criminal past, and a police captain working for the nobility she is trying to con. That is if she wants to survive in this queer Venetian-inspired epic fantasy world.

The Unbroken by C. L. Clark (2021)

A rebellious princess finds the rebel figurehead she is looking for when she meets a soldier she thinks could change everything. Princess Luca knows she must usurp her uncle if she wants her people to flourish. Touraine was stolen by the empire and raised to kill for them, but when she is sent back home to quell a rebellion, her allegiance to her childhood home feels stronger than ever. When Luca meets Touraine at the right moment, she convinces her that together, they can pacify the rebels and usurp the king.

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi (2022)

In this sapphic epic fantasy novel inspired by Ghanaian mythology, a born revolutionary, a princess, and a low-caste woman work together to start a revolution. Sylah’s dreams of overthrowing the ruling class died when her family was murdered. Anoor has never known the love of her mother, the empire’s ruler. As a member of the low caste, Hassa’s hands and tongue were removed as a child, leaving her invisible enough to the upper classes that she holds all their secrets. As the trial-by-combat begins to select new leaders, they are given the chance to act and change the world.

The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah (2022)

Loulie al-Nazari and her jinn bodyguard are in the business of selling illegal magic, not rescuing royalty, but when she saves a prince, she attracts the attention of the sultan. He offers her a choice: retrieve a magical artifact or be executed. Now, Loulie is on the hook for finding a magic lamp — that could revive the land in exchange for the lives of all jinn — with the sultan’s son and her bodyguard. A take on One Thousand and One Nights wouldn’t be complete without daring escapes and dangerous magical foes, but the three will have to do their best if they want to survive an impossible journey in this epic fantasy debut.

The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem (2023)

A magically talented heir-in-hiding is tested when she meets the son of her kingdom’s enemy. Sylvia was content hiding her magic as an orphaned apothecary’s assistant in a small town. She escaped the kingdom of Jasad when it fell a decade ago, and ever since, her dampened magic has escaped detection. That is until the heir of Nizahl uncovers it and blackmails her into becoming his champion for the deadly inter-kingdom competition. He doesn’t know she’s the lost heir and will make her compete to protect her peaceful life. Although Jasadi rebels and her conscious insists she take up the crown, Sylvia will have to decide if she wants justice more than safety.

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland (2024)

In this Korean-inspired high fantasy epic, five assassins team up to do the impossible: steal the immortal crown from the god-king. Together, a poison maiden and the son of the lord who controls her; the king’s rogue spymaster and the exiled prince; and an impossibly fast thief and her hired muscle must travel separately to the heart of the empire if they want a shot at killing the king. There is an equal chance they will kill each other before they even get there. Worse yet, as their journey continues, it is more apparent than ever that they might just be replacing one unstable dictator for another.

Epic fantasy debuts are almost impossible to pull off, but when they succeed, fantasy at large is given an opportunity to experience the impossible. Impossible odds, impossible quests, and impossible successes await readers ready to embark on a journey only epic fantasy debuts can deliver.

True Story

Three Cheers for This Pulitzer Prize-Winning Memoir!

Post author By Kendra Winchester
Post date May 7, 2024

Sponsored by

May is my birthday month, so of course I have ordered a ridiculous number of books and will heartily enjoy being buried up to my eyeballs in books for the next several weeks. Naturally, I am inclined to start off my bookish birthday hoard with plenty of true stories. As I finish them off, I’ll be sure to share them with y’all here.

In the meantime, today I’m sharing one of my favorite memoirs of 2023, which just won the Pulitzer. But before we jump into that, it’s time for bookish goods!

Bookish Goods

white wildflower bookmark by graceslittlebookcase

I’ll admit, I have fallen down the wildflowers-in-resin rabbit hole. This one stood out as particularly beautiful. $14

New Releases

The Way You Make Me Feel: Love in Black and Brown by Nina Sharma

In this new essay collection, writer Nina Sharma examines her interracial Black and Asian relationship. Sharma first meets her husband Quincy when she catches a ride with him to a friend’s barbecue for the 4th of July. From there, they spark a relationship that will change her perspective on the world forever. The Way You Make Me Feel dives into race, class, colorism, and so much more.

First Love: Essays on Friendship by Lilly Dancyger

When Lilly Dancyger’s cousin is murdered, Dancyger finds herself holding on to her female friendships with a new urgency. First Love delves into ideas around the importance of female friendship, its complexities, and the importance that it holds in women’s lives.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza

I was so pleased to see that Liliana’s Invincible Summer just won a Pulitzer! Cristina Rivera Garza’s sister, Liliana, was in college when she was murdered by an ex-boyfriend. Decades later, Cristina goes to Mexico City in search of her sister’s case file. But when the police inform her that Liliana’s case file was lost, she decides to make a sort of file of her own, an act to force the world to bear witness to her sister’s life. The rest of the book is comprised of memories that Rivera Garza has of her sister while they were growing up. We learn about all the squabbles they had as kids and all the love they shared as they got older. Rivera Garza also interviews Liliana’s friends from college in Mexico City. This way, Rivera Garza creates a collection of snapshots of her sister’s life leading up to the time of her death. This memoir is truly a stunning testament of sisterly love.

We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib

Samra Habib grew up as an Ahmadi Muslim in Pakistan, eventually fleeing violence against people from their sect and finding refuge in Canada. At first, Habib thought that all their problems might be solved, but in their new country, they faced racism and Islamophobia. And as they grew up, they began to realize that they weren’t exactly straight. Habib writes their memoir with no fear of presenting themself as a messy, very flawed human being. They work through their sexuality and faith throughout their story, eventually coming to a place that works for them. Their story doesn’t end wrapped up in a pretty bow. Instead, it’s more untidy, glorious in its own imperfections. This is a queer memoir unlike anything I’ve ever read and definitely worth your time.

You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy reading, Friends!

~ Kendra

Unusual Suspects

5 mystery and thriller movies on Prime Video with 95% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes

Post author By Jamie Canaves
Post date May 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi mystery fans! I finished reading, and loved, the novel Interesting Facts About Space, which is not a mystery book, but the main character is obsessed with true crime and thinks someone is breaking into her apartment, plus the book has twists, so I think mystery fans looking to read contemporary novels would especially love it. I also started watching the fun show Dead Boy Detectives, because I am always here for ghosts solving mysteries. Bonus: there is an awesome psychic played by Kassius Nelson, and Jenn Lyons, from Claws, plays a deliciously evil witch!

Bookish Goods

Tablet Floor Stand by BluuSuuk

I recently purchased this and would marry it if I could. I found reading in bed uncomfortable lately with either having to hold my ereader up in the air or having to look down at it in my lap, so I finally decided to try a tablet stand and it was the best decision ever. This was super easy to assemble (you twist the three parts together), the arm moves in all directions so you can always put it how you want, and the base is heavy, so it doesn’t tip over (at least not with my paperwhite reader). I bought a remote control page turner to go with it and I am in reading heaven! ($48)

New Releases

The Return of Ellie Black by Emiko Jean

For fans of dual POV mysteries (one a detective), and a missing person now found mystery!

Ellie Black disappeared when she was 17. Now she’s 19 and has been found. Her family is thrilled to have her back, even knowing that whatever may have happened to Ellie could have changed her. What no one is prepared for is that Ellie doesn’t want to participate in her own investigation. This doesn’t stop Detective Chelsey Calhoun from investigating. Not only is she doing it for Ellie, but Detective Calhoun’s sister was murdered when she was a kid, and she’s always felt guilty, like somehow she could have done something to stop it. So she’s going to help Ellie regardless of what Ellie wants, and she’s going to need to figure out what Ellie isn’t sharing…

This does a great job of going into both women’s lives, slowly revealing the past, along with everything that is unfolding in the present.

(TW past father death of cancer/ sexual assault exam/ mentions past overdose/ mentions past suicidal thoughts, attempt/ kidnapping/ past murder suicide/ sexual assault/ hunting)

I Will Ruin You by Linwood Barclayay

For fans of twisty thrillers with multiple POV including a detective and the bad guys!

Richard Boyle is a high school English teacher thrust into the spotlight as a hero when he saves the school from a suicide bomber. Except his life quickly spirals into a nightmare: the bomber’s parents are suing; former student Billy Finster sees Richard on the news and decides to blackmail him. Billy owes drug dealers money when his stash was mysteriously lighter than it was supposed to be and he sees Richard as his way out by blackmailing him that he’ll tell everyone that Richard sexually abused him once unless he pays him the money he needs. Richard, who is married to a school principal in the district and has a detective sister-in-law, assumes Billy is confusing him with another teacher and quickly makes a series of ill-advised decisions thinking he can handle these problems quietly on his own. Both Billy and Richard find themselves further down the hole, playing a cat-and-mouse game, as Richard’s sister-in-law is dangerously following a pair of drug dealers…

Linwood remains one of my go-to thriller authors!

(TW addiction, overdose death/ past teen sexual assault accusation/ panic attacks/ groping/ past suicide/ brief suicide on page/ teen predator, no graphic scenes)

Looking for more new releases? Check out our New Books newsletter!

Riot Recommendations

Here are two backlist titles with “spy” in the title, one nonfiction and one fiction!

American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson

This is a character driven spy novel set in the ’80s where Marie Mitchell, a Black FBI agent, is writing a letter to her two sons hoping to explain recent events. You learn about Mitchell’s childhood, recruitment into the FBI, and how the U.S. meddled in Burkina Faso’s politics…

Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott

This is a biography of four women who went undercover during the Civil War: Elizabeth Van Lew was a wealthy widow who organized an espionage ring; Belle Boyd was a spy and courier for the Confederate army who shot a Union soldier in her home; Emma Edmonds enlisted in the army by disguising as a man; Rose O’Neale Greenhow was a spy for the Confederacy by getting intel from Northern politicians.

News and Roundups

Here Are The 2024 Edgar Award Winners for Best Mysteries

May 20th, 7pm EST: Tune in for a lively conversation with MEG GARDINER, KELLYE GARRETT, OMAR TYREE & NOLAN CHASE and our own Rogue, TRACY CLARK, as MC. All are live, all talking about their new books and taking your questions.

5 mystery and thriller movies on Prime Video with 95% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes

Are Librarians Criminals? These Bills Would Make Them So

Will Trent Only Needed One Scene To Remind Me Why It’s One Of TV’s Most Fun Dramas, And I’m So Glad It’s Streaming

‘Only Murders’ Songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul Go for EGOT With ‘Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?’ at Emmys

‘Presumed Innocent’ Trailer: Jake Gyllenhaal Is On Trial For Murder In Apple TV+’s Legal Thriller

Liberty and Vanessa discuss new releases including Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett on All The Books!

Browse the books recommended in Unusual Suspects’ previous newsletters on this shelf. See upcoming 2024 releases and mysteries from 2023. Check out this Unusual Suspects Pinterest board and get Tailored Book Recommendations!

Until next time, keep investigating! In the meantime, come talk books with me on Bluesky, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy — you can find me under Jamie Canavés.

If a mystery fan forwarded this newsletter to you and you’d like your very own, you can sign up here.

Past Tense

Sick Fiction for Sick Readers

Post author By Rachel Brittain
Post date May 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Hi historical fiction fans,

I am, somehow, struggling through my third illness of the year. I’m fortunate that none of them have left me seriously ill, but I’m also very tired of not feeling well. So you can see where the theme from this week’s newsletter came from. I wish I had the energy to tell you some funny anecdote about the litter of seven kittens I’m fostering right now or my dog and her cousin, who I’m currently watching, and all the fun they’re having in what we’re calling “doggie summer camp,” but I just don’t. You’ll just have to trust me that all the animals are very cute and providing some much needed snuggles and laughs–and only a little bit of extra work for their sick caretaker.

Bookish Goods

A Well Read Woman Sticker from Sauce box Stickers

This sticker is perfect for e-readers, laptops, and water bottles alike. $3.50

New Releases

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung (May 7, 2024)

As civil war rages in China, the wealthy Ang family is more concerned by their lack of a male heir than the coming violence. Four daughters and their mother are left behind as the men flee the Communist party, and now, the women of the Ang family are left to feel the party’s wrath. But they’re also resourceful and determined, and soon they set off on a harrowing journey to escape to Taiwan and confront the family who left them behind.

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club by Helen Simonson (May 7, 2024)

In the years after the end of WWI, Constance Haverhill is just one of many women forced to give up the position she had during the war to the men returning from the front. She finds a surprising promise of something better after rescuing a baronet’s daughter from a social faux pas when she’s invited to join a motorcycle club for women. The country is celebrating its victory and on the brink of change, but for these young women, it’s also a time of loss as the privileges and freedom they were granted during the war are snatched away.

For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.

Riot Recommendations

I’m sick and exhausted, so this week’s newsletter we’re talking historical fiction about illness.

The Pull of Stars by Emma Donoghue

I’m always fascinated by the 1918 influenza pandemic and its parallels to Covid-19. Emma Donoghue brings her character-driven narrative to this topic in a story about a nurse working in an understaffed hospital ward for expectant mothers with the flu. It’s heartbreaking and beautiful and oh so human in its exploration of how we face death and disease and each other.

King of the Armadillos by Wendy Chin-Tanner

When Victor Chin is diagnosed with leprosy as a teenager, his life is turned completely upside down. Forced to quarantine at a facility with other patients, Victor fears his life is over. But soon he finds a certain sense of freedom away from family expectations and surrounded by a diverse cast of characters. With a groundbreaking cure on the horizon, Victor will have to face a question he’s not sure he ready for: will he be able to keep this new version of himself if he leaves?

That’s it for now, folks! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.

If you want to talk books, historical or otherwise, you can find me @rachelsbrittain on most social media, including Instagram, Goodreads, and Litsy.

Right now I’m reading Fair Rosaline by Natasha Solomons. What about you?

Read This Book

Read This Book…

Post author By Kendra Winchester
Post date May 7, 2024

Sponsored by

Welcome to Read this Book, a newsletter where I recommend one book that needs to jump onto your TBR pile! Sometimes these books are brand new releases that I don’t want you to miss, while others are some of my backlist favorites. This week, let’s talk about one of my most anticipated nonfiction books of the season.

Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees by Aimee Nezhukumatathil

Aimee Nezhukumatathil’s World of Wonders is one of my most recommended books of all time. Ever since it came out in 2020, I’ve been sharing it with anyone who will listen. With its beautiful illustrations of plants and animals — combined with Nezhukumatathil’s personal essays — it’s the perfect book for any lover of the natural world.

Bite by Bite continues this tradition, but this time, Nezhukumatathil is writing about her favorite foods. In one essay, she describes some of her favorite memories shared with friends and family eating shave ice. In another, she shares her experience feasting upon different varieties of watermelon at a watermelon festival. I especially loved how Nezhukumatathil describes her love of fruits of all kinds — jackfruit, Saba banana, pineapple, mango, lychee, miracle fruit — she treasures them all.

As she shares her memories around her favorite foods, each essay celebrates Nezhukumatathil’s life. She has such a unique way of giving readers glimpses of her life, giving us details about her family’s love of mangos or parties of all kinds featuring lumpia. Every dish or ingredient holds a special place in her heart.

With its illustrations, Bite by Bite is the perfect gift book for any food lover. Fumi Nakamura illustrates the foods featured in every chapter, making each essay feel unique. And if you’re an audiobook lover, you will fall head-over-heels in love with Nezhukumatathil’s performance. Her warm and inviting voice is so calm and restorative. It’s like you’re at the farmer’s market and she’s sharing about her favorite finds with you as you peruse the different stalls. She possesses such a personable tone as she shares her memories with listeners.

That’s it from me this week! You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.

Happy reading, Friends!

~ Kendra